Casemiro hails “soldier” Lisandro Martinez as star nears full fitness | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim is preparing to welcome Lisandro Martinez back into his squad with the Argentinian defender nearing a return from long-term injury.

The 27-year-old has been out of action since February, when he suffered an ACL tear against Crystal Palace which saw him stretchered off the pitch.

But now it seems a return is drawing close, with the Manchester United man reportedly hoping to be available towards the end of the month.

Casemiro update on “soldier” Martinez

One of United’s elder statesmen, Casemiro, was speaking to the club’s official website when his interview was interrupted by the sounds of Martinez working hard in the gym.

The Brazilian took the opportunity to heap praise on his teammate and give an update on his progress.

“Licha is on the final straight,” he said. “He is a soldier who works so hard. He is always in the gym working hard. He is a machine that works so hard. He is one of those players that loves to work hard.”

The 32-year-old added that it’s “a pleasure” to have the Argentinian at the club and noted that Martinez was still going strong at 4pm after getting started at 9am.

Martinez an “essential” player

United are not short of options for the left-sided centre-back position favoured by Martinez, with the likes of Leny Yoro, Luke Shaw and Ayden Heaven getting minutes in that role.

But for Casemiro, Martinez is still an “essential” presence at the club. He explained: “I will be so glad for his return. It’s not just me – everyone is happy – because he is an essential player at the club that works so hard.”

Last month head coach Amorim reiterated that United miss the player, in particular “his aggression in everything he does.”

He also praised the 27-year-old for finishing his solo training and sticking around to watch the team’s session on the grass.

Martinez is clearly determined to get back to match fitness, and with Shaw looking shaky at times this season will be confident of getting first-team minutes before long.

online polls

The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social